


Matters of Truth and Justice

by bustanut09



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Courtroom Drama, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, M/M, Murder, Roommates, Sequestered, Tropetastic Tuesday, jury, kinda not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-20 07:18:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14890059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bustanut09/pseuds/bustanut09
Summary: Rhett finds himself sequestered with an irritable man during the trial of the decade.





	1. Voir Dire

Rhett looks out at the expanse of ornate wood and polished marble all around him. He always loved the stern beauty that a courthouse held and a slight smile creeps over his face as he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. He listens to the bustle all around him, the rush of footsteps, the clattering of briefcases being swung about, and a sense of peace washes over him. Suddenly, a loud agitated voice breaks through his zen.

“What are you THINKIN’?” The voice echoes through the open lobby, causing several people to stop and stare. 

Rhett peers over the thick wood railings of the second floor balcony to see a tall, brunette man waving a hand in the face of another man much thicker than him. The stockier one seems to be apologizing profusely despite the size difference but the lean body of the brunette is still shaking violently in anger. Rhett then notices a delicate blonde woman standing slightly behind the thin man yelling and he has a protective arm up, shielding her from the other man in front of them. The stockier man apologizes once more, hands held up defensively, then turns and quickly walks away as the brunette hurls insults to his hulking back. 

Rhett chuckles at the brunette’s tenacity and the man’s head whips up to glare at him from the ground floor. Rhett stops laughing and begins to blush at the intensity of the man’s stare behind his dark-rimmed glasses. Rhett looks away for a full minute then looks back briefly to see the brunette sympathetically caressing the woman’s face and cooing what Rhett is sure are gentle reassurances in the woman’s ear. As the man bends down to kiss the small blonde, she tilts her head away from him and walks out of the building. Rhett turns away in embarrassment at the realization that he’d been unintentionally spying on an intimate moment between this man and his wife. 

As Rhett takes a seat in the back of the crowded waiting area with a fresh cup of coffee, he sees the tall brunette walk up to the check-in desk. The man isn’t as tall as Rhett but not many people are considering Rhett is a whopping 6’7. He has on a tan cardigan and up close, Rhett can see a silver streak in the man’s perfectly coifed hair. As the man takes out his wallet to hand the clerk his ID, he surveys the busy room around him until he catches Rhett’s eye once again. Rhett quickly looks down at the phone in his hand and pretends like he hadn’t been staring. 

After a couple of minutes scrolling through Twitter, Rhett feels the cushion on the bench he’s sitting on give way to the weight of somebody sitting next to him. Rhett quickly looks up to meet the gaze of the person he had been watching most of the morning. The man’s brilliant blue eyes burn into his for what feels like an eternity and there is something deeply unsettling in his sinister smirk. The bench is fairly small which causes the man to sit a little too close to him and their knees bump together in an almost familiar way. Rhett’s about to introduce himself when the man cuts him off.

“You think it’s funny to see my wife get knocked to the ground?” The man’s voice is calm but there is unmistakeable hostility running through it. 

“Wha... What?” This was not how Rhett expected this conversation to start. Rhett was normally very good at avoiding confrontation but the accusatory tone immediately brings a fire to Rhett’s cheeks.

“I said, do you think it’s funny seeing my wife get knocked to the ground?” The man says painfully slow. 

“No!” Rhett declares a little too loudly, causing those around them to turn their heads. Rhett lowers his voice and continues, “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t even see what happened. I just... I thought it was...”

“You thought it was what?” The man says with a heat that is not dying down.

Rhett looks down in embarrassment before looking up to meet the man’s eyes once more. Rhett feels paralyzed beneath his harsh scrutiny and he can’t bring himself to speak. Something about the intense discomfort is slightly exciting to Rhett though and he finds himself licking his lips as his eyes roam the brunette’s face. The man swallows and Rhett’s eyes track the path of his large adam’s apple. 

“Well?” The man questions impatiently, breaking Rhett from his spell.

“Look man, I think we got off on the wrong foot. Let’s just start over, okay? My name is Rhett.” He holds out his hand and hopes this is enough to get the other man to back down a little bit. The brunette stares at him unmoving for a minute before pushing himself up from the small bench. He looks down at Rhett once more and Rhett can see that the small smirk has come back to his full lips.

“Whatever, man. You’re not worth it.” He says as he walks away with Rhett frowning behind him.

Rhett tries to focus on the mundane tasks of checking his email and organizing his calendar but every time he looks up, he sees the other man scowling at him from across the room. Rhett avoids eye contact for the first hour but eventually he realizes that the other man doesn’t look angry anymore and seems to be gazing at him in genuine interest. Rhett takes a chance and meets his eyes with a polite smile but the brunette frowns at him and quickly looks away. Rhett continues to stare in the hopes of catching the man’s attention but the clerk finally stands and addresses the room.

“Okay, if you hear your name called, please report to courtroom four on the third floor. I repeat, please report to courtroom FOUR on the THIRD floor.” The woman calls out through the microphone in obvious disinterest. The room perks up at the first sign of activity in over two hours. The lady then starts rattling off names and several people from all over the room eagerly stand up and exit the small waiting area.

“... L. Bassett, B. Canote, E. Coleman, M. Criscimagna, M. Dwyer, B. Eck, M. Feldman, M. Gordon, C. Hilt, J. Inman, K. Kostelnick, S. Levine, M. Locke, J. Matichuk, E. McElvain, R. McLaughlin, C. Neal, C. Nimmer, A. Punch, J. Sherer, J. Warder...”

As soon as Rhett hears McLaughlin being called, he promptly stands then notices the brunette stand immediately afterwards and Rhett curses his luck. Of course they would be called to jury together. It’s not enough that he unintentionally offended the man, now he gets to be stuck in an even smaller room with even less people to buffer between them. Most of the group is able to pile into the large elevator together but Rhett and the other man are left to wait for the next one. Rhett clears his throat and tries again.

“Hey, I really am sorry about earlier. I swear I wouldn’t have laughed if I had known about your wife.” Rhett gazes apologetically down at the other man and his lips quirk back in spite of himself. The brunette looks down and shakes his head before looking back at the closed elevator doors in front of them. 

“It’s alright, man, I have a bit of a temper issue. So yeah, sorry for snapping at you. My name is Charles, by the way.” The brunette holds out a slim hand. 

“Charles.” Rhett doesn’t seem to notice the hand held out to him as he frowns down at his feet. The brunette gives him a little nudge and Rhett’s head snaps up as he is ripped from his thoughts, “Oh, uh, Sorry. You just don’t look like a Charles, I guess.” 

The man laughs high and bright as Rhett takes the other man’s hand in his own, “What do you mean? If I don’t look like a Charles, what do I look like?” 

Rhett notices that they are holding hands more than they are shaking hands and he immediately loosens his grip and lets his arm fall to his side. Rhett perceives a playful glint in the brunette’s blue eyes and he starts to feel that excitement from earlier flair up in his belly. He blushes and shifts his attention back to the elevator. 

“Oh, I don’t know. Something much less common, I suppose.” Rhett tries to sound casual and the other man beams at the unintended compliment. 

The elevator dings and the doors slide open in front of them. Once the group that has formed all file in and take their place in the crowded box, the brunette leans up and whispers to Rhett, “When I was a kid, everyone called me Link.”

Rhett smiles down at him and whispers back, “Now, that fits you perfectly... Link.”

There are over twenty people filling up the small courtroom and the two attorneys start the arduous task of weeding out the overflow. Another hour easily passes as both attorneys take their turn interviewing each and every one of the potential jurors. Rhett knows what to say to get out of jury duty but he has always felt like it was a dishonor to his country to take the easy way out. When it’s finally his turn, he decides to answer the questions honestly and openly and both attorneys quickly agree that he is a perfect candidate. Rhett briefly catches Link’s eye as he stands and takes his seat in chair number nine. 

Rhett realizes that Link must be ‘C. Neal’ because the attorneys immediately question him next. Rhett is excited to learn more about this intriguing man and he listens in earnest as they start getting into specifics. Rhett quickly notices that Link is answering how Rhett would have answered if he didn’t want to be there and he feels a sense of disappointment wash over him. The attorneys must notice as well because the prosecutor gently reminds Link that, although he isn’t currently under oath, it is still unlawful to answer dishonestly. Link’s brow furrows at that and a serious look crosses over his face. 

“I’ll ask you again, Mr. Neal. Do you actually have any negative thoughts or feelings about the law or law enforcement?”

Link is silent for a moment before quietly responding, “No, ma’am.” 

“Mr. Neal, will you please take seat number ten in the jury box?” Link reluctantly gets up and stalks to the seat next to Rhett. His jaw is clenched and he glares at Rhett for a moment when Rhett nudges his knee in attempted solidarity. Rhett was relieved at first to have a friendly face but quickly realizes that Link’s temper must be back in full force so he shifts forward and turns his attention back to the remaining jurors. 

After another two hours, people have been swapped in and out and the leftovers have been dismissed for the day. Once the twelve jurors and two alternates are finalized, the attorneys stand solemnly in front of them for a short orientation. Rhett is excited for what is about to come next but the excitement quickly fades as the attorneys spell out the long road they are all about to face. They can’t give out too many details yet but it becomes clear that this will be a very long, publicized trial. The attorneys explain that each juror will have to spend the next 90-120 days in a court appointed hotel with minimal contact to the outside world. Due to the nature of the trial they are about to take part in, the court cannot risk any exposure to the media. They are notified that they have the night to pack what belongings they wish to bring and say their temporary goodbyes to their families. Link is infuriated but when he glances over at Rhett, Link sees that Rhett is on the verge of tears. He wants to comfort him but his rage takes over and he leans to whisper in Rhett’s ear.

“Pull yourself together, man.” Rhett looks over in shock but his expression quickly steels and anger fills his eyes as he stares back at Link. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Rhett whispers back. 

“Gentleman.” Rhett and Link look up to see the prosecutor looking pointedly at them. “As I was saying, each person will have to share a room. We’ve found that it is usually easiest to just pair everyone up in groups of two. For example, juror one and two, three and four, five and six, et cetera will now all be roommates.” Rhett quickly looks over at Link and then back at the attorney, “It will be in your best interest to get to know this person well because you will now be spending a lot of time with each other. All expenses will be taken care of and you will be able to see your families, in a controlled setting, once a month. Please report back here at exactly 8 a.m. with anything you wish to bring with you. That is all for the day.” The prosecutor wraps up. 

The jurors all start filing out of the box and Rhett quickly approaches the two attorneys gathering up their belongings, “I’m sorry but I can’t be away from my family for the next three months, you have to find someone else.” Rhett simply states. The defense attorney looks at him with sympathy but the prosecutor immediately shuts him down.

“I’m sorry, Mr. McLaughlin, but the decision is final. We asked in the voir dire if you would be available for the foreseeable future and you said yes.” Tears spring back to Rhett’s eyes once again but he knows there is no hope getting out of it at this point.

“At least don’t make me room with him. I’ll room with anyone else.” Rhett pleads. Link was waiting behind to apologize to Rhett for his insensitivity but, upon hearing that last statement, Link changes his mind and storms out of the courtroom.

“Mr. McLaughlin, we sat everyone in the exact order needed to ensure that everyone can room with someone of the same sex. We cannot swap you at this point. I’m sorry but Mr. Neal will be your roommate for the duration of the trial. I expect you both to remain mature adults and handle your disagreements accordingly.” Rhett is looking back and forth between the two attorneys but he can see that neither one of them has any intention of budging. Rhett squeezes his eyes shut in resignation before dejectedly making his way out of the courtroom without further complaint. 

Rhett doesn’t necessarily consider himself a religious man very much these days but he sends a silent prayer up to the heavens that his family can make it through the next few months still in tact. He thinks about leaving his wife alone during the hardest time of the year for them and he does his best not to breakdown as he crawls into his silver cruiser. As soon as he shuts the door behind him, he rests his head on the steering wheel and cries harder than he has since the day his beautiful little boy left this merciless world. He just hopes Jessie will be able to forgive him for not being there.


	2. Sequestered

Rhett walks into the courthouse an hour earlier than he is expected to be there. It had been a rough night fighting with his wife, Jessie, and Rhett wanted the chance to collect his thoughts before the long day ahead of him. He sits down at a small table at the courthouse cafe and sets his duffel bag and guitar case on the floor next to him. His wife’s accusations of leaving her on purpose are swirling around in his head and Rhett wants nothing more than to just sit and forget the world. 

Link walks in shortly after Rhett and politely orders a large coffee while scrolling through his phone. As he waits for his drink, he notices Rhett slumped at a table far off in the corner. Link was sure he’d be the first one there and he’s impressed to see the tall blonde this early in the morning. He thinks about going over to him but then he remembers the sound of Rhett’s voice as he pleaded not to be roomed with him and decides he doesn’t want anything to do with the bearded giant. He grabs his drink and heads to a booth on the other side of the shop. 

Time passes by glacially slow and Link finds himself staring at Rhett more often than not. The taller man’s toned back is curved over the table as he rests his head on his crossed arms and Link can’t help but admire the graceful slope of Rhett’s hunched shoulders. Link has unconsciously synced his breathing with the rise and fall of Rhett’s long body which inevitably lulls Link into a deep sleep despite his best efforts at jolting his system awake with caffeine. As 7:45 rolls around, the alarm goes off on Rhett’s phone and he starts gathering up his belongings to head up to the courtroom. He is about to leave the cafe when he sees Link sitting in a booth with his mouth hanging open and his glasses sliding off the end of his nose. 

Link is a volatile man but Rhett can’t help the smile as he walks up and rests a hand on the sleeping man’s shoulder, unintentionally running his thumb along the prominent collarbone underneath Link’s tight graphic t-shirt. He gently shakes him a couple times but Link still doesn’t wake and Rhett lets out a low chuckle. He’s amazed at how well the man is able to sleep in such a public place considering how tightly wound Link seems to be in every other aspect of his waking life. Rhett slaps his face a couple times while calling his name and Link’s lashes finally flutter open to look up at Rhett. Link smiles in sleepy confusion at first but he seems to quickly figure out where he is and straightens up in his seat, knuckling his glasses back up to their rightful place.

“Sorry, man. It’s almost 8, I didn’t want you to miss it.” Rhett softly explains.

“Why don’t you worry about yourself, Rhett?” Link spits back at him. Rhett huffs out an exasperated breath as Link grabs his coffee and rudely pushes past him, leaving Rhett standing in the cafe alone. Rhett notices a worn gold wedding band sitting on the edge of the table and carefully picks it up, slipping it into his pocket to return to Link. He checks the clock on his phone to see that it is 8:01 and he’s late thanks to the horrible man he will now be rooming with for the next three months.

After a brief explanation from the bailiff informing them that they will all have the day to settle into their rooms, the group is sworn in and then ushered to a small bus waiting in the parking lot. Rhett tries to get Link’s attention but he seems intent on ignoring the taller man so Rhett holds on to the ring the entire way to the hotel. There is a sense of excitement amongst the jurors and most of them make pleasant small talk on the short ride but Rhett sits quietly watching Link a few rows up. As unpleasant as the man is, there is something about him that intrigues Rhett, an underlying electricity that crawls under his skin anytime Link is near.

As they enter the lobby, the bailiff approaches them once again with a sympathetic smile on her face. She holds out a basket to collect everyone’s cell phones and a collective grumble fills the lobby. Rhett sends his wife one last text but doesn’t get a response before it’s his turn to deposit his device. They are reassured that their electronics will be kept safe before the older woman comes around again to pass out keys and room numbers. She briefly explains that there is to be no outside communication and all talk of the trial is to be kept to a minimum unless inside the courtroom. As she excuses the jurors, she asks them all to meet back here at noon for lunch and a tour of all areas open to the jurors during their stay. 

Rhett reaches the fifteenth floor and sees Link struggling with the lock outside their door. There are floor-to-ceiling windows lining the entire hotel and Rhett’s stomach drops as he looks out at the Los Angeles skyline. Even though Rhett is taller than almost everyone else, he is deathly afraid of heights and he feels his knees go weak as he tries to make it to the end of the hall. Link is stubbornly trying not to pay attention to the giant but the way Rhett is hugging the wall makes it hard to keep his eyes away. Rhett has barely made it three feet before Link throws his bag down and stalks over to the other man. 

“What are you doing?” Link sulkily asks as he steps up to Rhett’s side. 

“I’m, oh gosh...” Rhett looks like he might throw up for a second but continues on, “I’m afraid of heights.” 

Link lets out a high pitched laugh and Rhett tries to give him a stern look but then quickly squeezes his eyes shut as another wave of nausea hits. Link stares incredulously at Rhett for a second before taking action. He firmly grips Rhett’s arm, pulling it safely around his broad shoulders, and guides him back to the elevator. Rhett starts to protest but Link quickly shushes him before pushing the button for the lobby and stepping back out. As the doors start to close, Link calls out behind his retreating back, “Just wait for me down there, buddyroll. I just gotta grab my bag.”

As Rhett steps back out onto the ground floor, he takes a deep, steadying breath of relief. The bailiff notices Rhett immediately and rushes forward to tell him that he shouldn’t be down there but Link quickly strides up and interrupts the woman mid-speech.

“We need another room.” Link unceremoniously cuts to the chase.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not possi-”

“I’m not asking, I’m telling you. My friend is afraid of heights, we can’t stay on the fifteenth floor.” Rhett glances at Link when he calls Rhett his friend and he barely resists the urge to smile. Even though Link’s mood swings are giving him metaphorical whiplash, he needs someone like him in his corner right now so he stays quiet as Link and the lady argue back and forth. Finally the lady gives in and she heads over to the reception desk to see what the hotel has available. Rhett is impressed with the effortless way Link handled the situation and, for the first time, feels a small sense of gratitude that Link is his roommate. 

“The lowest room they have available is on the second floor, will that work?” The lady addresses Link but he quickly looks over to the taller man for approval. Rhett nods his head and Link tells the lady ‘that’s fine’ as he grabs the two keys from her. The lady explains that all of the other jurors have floors fourteen and fifteen reserved for them so, due to Rhett’s special circumstances, added measures will need to be taken to keep them sequestered. She informs them that they will only be allowed out of their room to go to designated areas and then gestures for a deputy standing by the entrance to escort them to their floor. 

“I’m sorry.” Rhett says quietly as the deputy closes the bedroom door behind him on the way out. 

“For what?” Link sets his bag on the bed furthest from the air conditioner and methodically starts unpacking his stuff.

“I made things harder on us, on you. We won’t be able to walk around and talk to the other jurors as much now.” Rhett carelessly dumps all of his clothes on the bed and starts picking his bathroom supplies out from the pile. Link snorts out a laugh at the mountain of snacks Rhett has hidden in his duffel. 

“You think I wanna talk to those people?” Link asks as he places his neatly folded shirts on one side of the single dresser. “You’re doin’ me a favor, Rhett.” 

“What happened to you, man?” Rhett irritably asks. Link looks up and Rhett can tell Link is about to snap at him again but then a look of melancholy crosses over his face and Link goes back to his task. He seems to genuinely consider Rhett’s question for several minutes without speaking. 

“It’s a long story that I don’t feel like telling. Maybe someday, Rhett.” Link weakly replies, long after Rhett had expected an answer. Rhett suddenly feels sorry for the other man although he can’t quite place why. He wants to unravel the layers of his mysterious roommate but he decides not to push his luck and instead resigns to the bathroom until lunch. 

The rest of the day passes slowly. Rhett notices that most of the other jurors already seem acquainted with each other as everyone sits down to eat so Rhett makes an effort to introduce himself to anyone he can. Rhett doesn’t consider himself a very social man but the thought of his only company being Link for the next three months motivates him to try to make friends. He meets a short kid with a kind face named Chase who barely looks old enough to vote and a thin woman with long strawberry blonde hair who prefers to be called Stevie. She is very quick to point out the absence of Rhett amongst the rest of the jurors on the upper floors and looks at him inquisitively. Rhett blushes as he explains his phobia but she just sympathetically smiles back.

“Well, you’re definitely not missing out. Right after we all got to our rooms, a guard set up posts just outside the elevators on both floors.” Stevie whispers in mock agitation, “You’d think we were the ones on trial, it’s freakin’ ridiculous.”

Rhett snickers and is grateful for the change of subject. A small group forms as Rhett and Stevie take a seat at one of the tables in the little makeshift lounge. Rhett laughs easily with everyone as they all talk about the twilight zone they seem to have stepped into. The younger people in the group complain about the lack of internet while the elders just wish they could have a TV in their rooms. The only source of entertainment they will have for the next 90 days is a box of outdated DVDs and a five-in-one game board. A girl named Ellie confesses that she may or may not have smuggled in a deck of playing cards and the table erupts in laughter. 

Before long, the group excitedly starts to speculate about what kind of high profile case they might be about to take part in. Two grungy looking men, who Rhett later finds out are named Mike and Alex, immediately chime in with unrealistic conspiracies of mob bosses and corrupt cops but the group quickly dismisses the idea much to the duo’s chagrin. A few of the jurors bring up the possibility of the defendant being a state senator or government official and Rhett nods his head in agreement just as a pretty blonde with bright eyes and dramatically short hair audibly gasps.

“It’s gotta be the Holly Hawkins case!” The girl exclaims loud enough for the guard to look over sternly. 

“Ooh Lizzie, I bet you’re right.” Ellie whispers excitedly back.

“What’s the ‘Holly Hawkins case’?” Rhett naively asks and the small group turns to stare at him in disbelief. 

“Are you being serious right now because I can’t tell?” Lizzie questions but when Rhett just sheepishly stares back, Lizzie continues. “Holliday Hawkins… that actress that was murdered several months ago… You know? They just arrested her husband a few weeks back… His trial is supposed to be any day now?” Rhett still has a blank expression on his face, “Seriously, Rhett? It’s literally been all over the news for months.”

Rhett is about to respond when suddenly a tray is dropped loudly on the table next to him. Rhett looks up into Link’s blue eyes and the familiar flutter comes rushing back to his stomach as Link smirks down at him. Link gestures towards the empty chair to Rhett’s left and Rhett just nods in response and irritably looks away. Stevie quirks a brow when he meets her eye but Rhett quickly looks back down at the bland food on his plate with a small blush and tries to reign in the confusing emotions swirling around inside his belly. Rhett had been enjoying the camaraderie and is more than a little disappointed by the interruption but he also feels a rush of adrenaline as the brunette takes his seat.

As the small talk slowly starts back up again, Link is surprisingly charming. He seems to almost flirt with everyone around him and his quick wit easily wins over the table. Before long, the entire group is enraptured by Link’s stories of life growing up in the south and Rhett starts to notice a hint of jealousy clawing in his chest. He has been trying so hard with this man and gets nothing but yelled at but these people spend five minutes with him and he’s the life of the party. Rhett finishes his food as quickly as he can and stands up to leave, curtly telling everyone he will see them at dinner. As he steps out of the lounge to head back to his room, Link jogs up behind him.

“Hey, wait up.” Link breaths as he struggles to keep up with Rhett’s impossibly long legs. 

“Why?” Rhett snaps back.

“Hey, what’s wrong, man?” Link reaches out to grab Rhett’s arm and Rhett spins around into Link’s face.

“What’s wrong!” Rhett shouts and Link visibly flinches. “You have treated me like nothing but garbage since the second we met! I honestly thought that was just your fucking personality! But that...” Rhett gestures wildly in the direction of the lounge, “That just proves that you’re a normal human being and you just actively CHOOSE to hate me!” 

“You think you’re so innocent, Rhett! You think I didn’t hear you ask to room with anyone else but me! It is what it is at this point, we’re stuck together!” Link yells right back at Rhett and the color drains from his face when he realizes Link is right.

“Look, I don’t hate you, Rhett.” Link continues much softer than before. “I’m sorry. I am genuinely freakin’ sorry that I have been such an asshole. I wasn’t always like that, you know. But, you’re the closest thing I have to a friend in here and I promise I’ll make more of an effort, okay? I need you, man.” 

Rhett searches Link’s eyes for any sign that he might not be able to trust him but there is nothing but sincerity staring back. Link seems to be pleading for a little mercy and it hits a soft spot deep within Rhett’s core. Suddenly, Rhett’s face breaks out into a wide smile and uncontrollable giggles bubble up deep within him. 

“You need me?” Rhett crinkles up his nose at the sentiment and Link smacks his shoulder as Rhett’s whole body starts shaking with laughter. 

“Shut up, Rhett.” Link chuckles as they both walk side by side back towards their room. 

Later that night, Rhett and Link lay in their beds and stare up at the ceiling in silence. Rhett’s arms are crossed tight across his ribs as he watches the moonlight dance across the room to land on Link’s face. Link has taken off his glasses and Rhett can almost imagine what he would have looked like as a little boy, running barefoot through the woods.

“Thank you for today.” Rhett whispers almost inaudibly. Link doesn’t speak but he shifts onto his side, facing Rhett, and smiles as his eyes fall shut.

**Author's Note:**

> Keep an eye on the rating because it will definitely change as the story progresses. This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter so I'll try to post regularly, if I can. I also have absolutely no formal law education so please excuse any inaccuracies, this is purely fiction. As always, thank you to @mythicaliz and @matrimus for being the wonderful people you are.


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